Q. Marvell’s poem “To His Coy Mistress” Essay

â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† is primarily the author, Andrew Marvell, trying to convince and seduce â€Å"his coy mistress†, into having intimate relations with him. The poem has three stanzas; each with a different purpose: the first stanza gently and subtly flatters his mistress, using positive diction and images to show, how Marvell wishes he could love her for all of eternity; the second stanza, however, uses imagery to show how time is moving fast and also, strongly negative diction and images to show how life must be lived happily, for there is no chance to after death; the last stanza, the conclusion of the poem, uses quite sexual images to tell his mistress, that because time is limited, they should make the most of it, and enjoy life’s intimate pleasures together. Imagery and diction have been used effectively throughout the poem, to achieve the author’s purpose, of seducing this lady. The author also conveys a theme throughout the poem; life is sho rt, your time on earth is limited, and therefore we must make the most of life’s pleasures while we still can. In the first stanza, imagery and diction, flatters this lady, Andrew Marvell wishes to seduce, and depicts his great and ever-growing love for her. Marvell begins by describing how ideally he would have â€Å"world enough and time† to love this lady. They would â€Å"sit down, and think which way to walk and pass [their] long love’s day.† Imagery shows them taking their love very slowly. This image is created by diction with relaxed and slow connotations, such as â€Å"sit down†, and â€Å"walk.† The diction within that line, also creates alliteration, â€Å"which way to walk†, and also, â€Å"long love’s day;† this alliteration, and the long vowel sounds in â€Å"way†, â€Å"walk†, and â€Å"long†, creates a slow and steady rhythm, and a relaxed mood and tone to the stanza, which allows the author to convey to â€Å"his mistress† that he wishes they could take their love slowly and steadily. Later on in the stanza, he uses diction to create images, to flatter â€Å"his mistress.† â€Å"Thou by the Indian Ganges’ side shouldst rubies find; I by the tide of the Humber would complain.† The imagery shows how he sees his mistress as exotic, by comparing her to the Indian Ganges’, which at that time, was an faraway and exotic place; while, comparing himself with â€Å"the  Humber†, he views himself as ordinary, compared to her. The effect is that it fulfils the author’s purpose for it, which was to flatter this lady. The diction also helps him achieve this, â€Å"shouldst rubies find†; rubies are precious and beautiful, and by using this diction, he again flatters her, by describing how beautiful and precious she is to him. In the first stanza the author has used diction and imagery effectively to create a relaxed and easy mood and tone, to show how the author wishes he can just slowly and eternally love this woman; a â€Å"state† which she â€Å"deserves.† He also achieves his purpose of gracefully complementing this lady on her beauty, in more ways than physically. In the next stanza, Marvell uses diction and imagery to show how there is nothing to be enjoyed in the eternity of death, and how death is a lonely place, therefore another person’s love must be experienced during life. He tells us that â€Å"at [his] back [he] always hears Time’s wingà ¨d chariot hurrying near.† â€Å"Winged†: this diction gives us an impression that the â€Å"chariot† is quick, and therefore the imagery, created by the personification of â€Å"Time†, shows that time travels quickly; life is short. â€Å"Yonder before us lie deserts of vast eternity.† I believe the â€Å"deserts of vast eternity† metaphorically symbolises death. â€Å"Deserts† suggests lifeless, desolate; while â€Å"vast eternity† uses long vowels sounds in â€Å"vast†, combined with the ‘e’ sound being repeated and carried on at the end, in â€Å"eternity†. The combined effect of the diction: an image, showing the boring, lifelessness of death. This is summed up at the end of the stanza: â€Å"the grave’s a fine and private place, but none, I think, do there embrace:† love and its pleasures may only be experience during life. He also tries to convince â€Å"his mistress†, that keeping her virginity, is a silly thing to do. Marvell refers to â€Å"long preserved virginity† as a â€Å"quaint honour†; the choice of diction, by using quaint, shows the author’s negative tone towards keeping your â€Å"virginity†: it is too old-fashioned, odd, and somewhat of a joke. The diction and imagery in this paragraph show us that life must be enjoyed, for such pleasures do not exist after death. In the last paragraph, Marvell, uses sexual, passionate diction and imagery  to show that to enjoy life to the fullest, they must have intimate relations together. â€Å"Now therefore, while the youthful hue sit on the skin like morning dew, and while thy willing soul transpires at every pore with instant fires†; the simile creates an image, showing us that this lady is physically young, and the metaphor shows us that she is either blushing, or seems to be very excited, or both. Marvell uses this imagery to subtly tell this young woman, that it is obvious, she wants the same as him. â€Å"Now let us sport us while we may, and now like amorous birds of prey†; the diction, amorous, has very passionate connotations, even more so than love, and the simile, like birds of prey, suggests a physical side of love, and creates an image of a fearless bird, diving as soon as it sees a chance for kill; therefore the image shows us, that while we are able to, we must make the most of the physical and passionate pleasures of life, without too much concern, and also most importantly, as soon as we may. The tone and mood, created by the diction and images, in the paragraph is very positive, and passionate, and its purpose is to convince â€Å"his mistress† that what he is suggesting, is the right thing to do, and to do so without any worries, and as soon as possible. We must enjoy the pleasures of life, while we may, for that is impossible after death. Andrew Marvell effectively uses diction and imagery throughout this poem, to convince and seduce a young lady, into having physical relations with him. He uses diction and imagery in the first paragraph, showing how, greatly he loves her, and how willing he is to only love in a non-physical way, till the â€Å"last age† had they all of eternity. However, in the second paragraph, negative diction and images, show us that time is limited, and the pleasures of life, cannot be found in after death; therefore we must enjoy them while we live. The third and final paragraph, is the conclusion to Marvell’s argument; he uses passion filled images and diction, to show that they should therefore engage in a physical and intimate relationship, for this maybe the only opportunity they ever get. A theme conveyed is that we must enjoy all of life’s pleasures, for we only get one chance to live.

Conflicting Perspectives: Ted Hughes’ Anthology of Birthday Letters Essay

CONFLICTING PERSPECTIVES Conflicting perspectives arise due to subjective human experiences, resulting in alternative perceptions of situations, events and personalities. In Ted Hughes’ anthology of â€Å"Birthday Letters†, poetry is utilised as an emotive medium to express the ephemeral nature of perspectives by reflecting on his turbulent relationship with Sylvia Plath concurrently Comment [MM1]: ? Are you sure you want to say perspectives are ephemeral? You do know that means temporary, or short†lived right? revealing how composers can manipulate the preconceived ideas of responders to protect public identity. Ted Hughes’ utilises the poetic form and his reflection on his turbulent relationship with Sylvia Plath as a means to express the X nature of conflicting perspectives, ultimately revealing how composers can manipulate the preconceived ideas of responders to protect their public identity. (Hughes’ poem â€Å"Full BrightFulbright Scholars† discusses how memories are subjective, and may change with time, whilst â€Å"Red† is positioned to question the conflict regarding Plath’s personality.) Alternatively, both Sidney Lumet’s 12 Angry Men and Sarah Curchwell’s essay Secret and Lies explore how perspectives are coloured by Comment [MM2]: Or perhaps just   Ã¢â‚¬Ëœrevealing the role of personal agenda in   manipulating public perception’   Comment [MM3]: Too long, too wordy,   too many ideas in the one sentence. Also,   poetry is the textual form, not the medium   they refer to in the rubric – if you’re   referring to medium in another sense of   the word, find another way to express it   Comment [MM4]: Er, I wouldn’t really   introduce these in the introduction –   preferably leave until the body interpretation and personal biases. These varying perspectives are necessary for audiences to better discern the truth from through an understanding of why conflicting perspectives occur. The interplay between memory and hindsight rarely tessellate with the truth, as memories are inherently dependant on subjective human experience. This subjectivity is seen through the sense of uncertainty which permeates â€Å"Full BrightFulbright Scholars†, with the rhetorical question in â€Å"where was it, in the strand?† and repetition of the speculative tone in â€Å"maybe† and â€Å"or† revealing the inner conflict between real events and memory. The older nostalgic Hughes’ presents an irony in that he clearly appears to remember the negative aspects of Plath at that time, with the layering effect and negative connotation in her â€Å"exaggerated American grin for the cameras, the judges, the strangers† reinforcing her as superficialher superficiality/her public faà §ade. Further, the allusion to an actress famed for her role as the femme fatale, her in â€Å"Veronica Lake bang† is an innuendo about her multiple masks disguising her â€Å"true† personality. This reveals the value of hindsight, as the additional information of Plath allows a better understanding of a past situation. Similarly, in â€Å"The Shot,† Hughes argues through an extended metaphor that the â€Å"vague mist† of her superficiality prevented him from detecting her true intent. The He utilises the recurring visual imagery of the â€Å"gun† is to suggest that the truth had always existed, and yet Hughes commenting that the truth was always there, yet his emotions influenced his perceptions, as he metaphorically â€Å"did not even know [he] had been hit.† This These ideas reveals that memories are Comment [MM5]: This is nice! Comment [MM6]: Avoid too much   certainty ‘clearly’ – also you just said sense of uncertainty, and yet ‘he clearly   remembers’ Comment [MM7]: Need to explain Comment [MM8]: Hmm, perhaps, but   probably not the most effective explanation of this allusion/technique. Veronica Lake was known for her role as the femme fatale – a role where basically the woman seduces the man to his downfall. Yes, it kind of is an innuendo to the fact that she, too, has a personal agenda, but the point of that innuendo is to suggest that Plath is ultimately to blame, i.e. cast her in a negative light as opposed to himself, reversing preconceived ideas that it was actually his fault – as obviously the femme fatale is seen as being at fault for leading the male character to his downfall. Comment [MM9]: Information? The term seems too objective – how can you be sure this is information and not a purposeful mis†portrayal? Also, would you regard hindsight as a value or a fallibility? The question here is the question of CP, its nature and how they arise – value of hindsight is ultimately irrelevant unless you can link it back to CP (when I said fallibility, fallibility in the sense that it distorts the true memory – he did not, at the time, notice her exaggerated grin or her numerous flaws. Yet, in hindsight, he is. Is this really a value when we are looking in terms of the truth? (your topic sentence)  subjectivethe subjectivity of nature, and that hindsight can be a more objective tool which can be used to reveal the truth. Conflicting perspectives arise from the conflict of personal agenda, as composers attempt to manipulate responders’ attitudes. This is conveyed in  Hughes’ poem, â€Å"Red†, where Conflicting perspectives often occur when individuals contend with each other in order to persuade responders on their â€Å"correct† views, as occurs in â€Å"Red†. Hughes he personifies Plath’s rage and passion through the extended metaphor of â€Å"Red,†, with the The alliterative tone in â€Å"you revelled in red† suggesting suggests that Plath’s life was dominated by images of â€Å"blood.† This violent imagery and recurring motif of the â€Å"blood,† as seen in â€Å"the carpet of blood patterned with darkenings and congealments† reveals Plath’s victimisation of Hughes, through the violent imagery how Plath victimized Hughes. When considering this in context Comment [MM14]: I like the first  sentence, but I’m not so sure about your explanation of the composer’s purpose. How does the fact that she saw poetry as a solace from life reflect a false personality?  through the use of personal pronouns which accentuate the contrast between the extended Comment [MM15]: States? Stating is â€Å"I have a book† – a direct statement.  perceptions of Plath’s personality as conveyed through her poetry. states that responders seem to have a false perception of Plath’s personality  through her poetry. This is similarly  metaphor of â€Å"Your Paris† and â€Å"My Paris.† Through this, Hughes suggests that responders’ sympathetic interpretations of Plath’s ‘Paris’, as a misinterpretation of her ‘true’ private life, are skewed. By extension responders interpretations of Plath’s â€Å"Paris† are seen as incorrect, as it differs from her â€Å"true† private life. This reveals that composers can use emotive Comment [MM16]: Within? Do you mean the multiple conflicting perspectives of Plath’s character, or Plath’s own conflicting natures? Comment [MM17]: You need to try and be more subtle, incorrect is far too confident/harsh a term  techniques to mislead audiences. When Hughes informs responders that Plath has more than one side, he is forcing responders to ask themselves if they know the â€Å"real† Plath. Contrastingly, interpretations of texts are often found to be conflictingconflict due to responder’s presumptions regarding events. In the scholarly essay Secrets and Lies, Churchwell adopts a feminist viewpoint to critique Hughes’ perspective regarding Plath’s suicide when she states â€Å"I don’t believe in this kind of determinism. I don’t believe she was doomed to die. I don’t believe that for one minute.† The repetition of the â€Å"I don’t† Through the use of intense emotive language and hyperbole she presents her view that â€Å"Hughes was a monster who forced his wife into a life of domestic drudgery†, with the bestial imagery of â€Å"monster† further emphasising her distaste of Hughes. Thus, when Churchwell presents her feminist view that Plath â€Å"became a martyr,† she is disagreeing with Hughes’ belief that her â€Å"trajectory perfect,† as in â€Å"The shot†. Thus, Churchwell utilises persuasive language and the essay structure as a seemingly intellectual and unbiased form to enhance a tone of authority and position responders to agree with Churchwellher. This is a nicely written paragraph, but much too short. Further, quite a bit of it is simply stating/discussing her view. To move with certainty into the B6 range, you need to actually analyse it in relation to the nature of conflicting perspectives – what does whatever the composer say implicitly show? (Her manipulation, her personal agenda, her personal bias) – you need to do more than state her view, and actually position yourself as an objective third party, analysing her influences and so on. She is clearly strongly biased against Hughes, and you need to say this – what you basically say is that she is disgusted with Hughes, yes, but this reveals her personal bias. She does not attempt to view both sides of the situation. In fact, did she even know either of them personally? (Uncertain) – Either way, she is merely another biased and speculative third party – somewhat ironic. Similarly to Churchwell, Sidney Lumet’s 12 Angry Men discusses how stigmas and preconceived ideas can result in a misappropriation of the truth. Juror 4’s stigma is seen as he generalises and externalises his hate of the lower  socioeconomic class, stating that â€Å"children of slum backgrounds are potential menaces† with a close-up of his forceful exterior revealing Comment [MM19]: You jump too fast into analysis, you need to ease the marker in. What is the text even about? (Explain in relation to CP) the strength of his belief. However, the deadpan silence which follows the shrill non-diegetic music of Juror 4’s statement is the utility of the film medium to break the fourth wall and forces audiences to consider the error of this, as films allow audiences to understand both perspectives. Hughes’ similarly identifies his own bias with the juxtaposition of Plath’s aestheticized city with the admission that â€Å"my perspectives were veiled† ironically presented Comment [MM20]: This phrasing doesn’t make sense. Comment [MM21]: How This is too vague and general to inform audiences of Hughes’ truths despite utilising a medium where emotive language is paramount. Thus, when a low angle shot accompanies Juror 11’s forceful tone when he uses juxtaposes both inclusive and exclusive language to say assert that â€Å"we’re right and he’s wrong,† the audience understands that it is impossible for two parties with opposing Comment [MM24]: Definitely too long – a link should be effective, perhaps 20†30 words. These conflicting perspectives between Hughes and Churchwell arise as a result of the difference in representations and mediations which consistently interfere with the reality of direct, private, inner access to â€Å"reality† in Hughes relationship to Plath, with Lumet further attributing this to personal biases and stigmas This representation of a subjective event to Comment [MM25]: Okay but your essay should be on the general nature of conflicting perspectives, just like your belonging essay should be on the general nature of belonging â€Å"Acceptance nurtures a sense of identity† vs. â€Å"H&C highlight different ideas of acceptance within their texts (something text†specific)reveal a more serious issue regarding Plath’s suicide and Juror 4’s bias are the composers Formatted: Font: Bold  informing responders to critically evaluate all information, and attempt to identity and Comment [MM26]: Wouldn’t you say all of them have personal bias?  disregard their own stigmas when considering potentially biased information. Formatted: Font: Bold Comment [MM27]: What is the more serious issue? Should you really be almost suggesting that anything is more serious than suicide? Formatted: Font: Bold  Comment [MM28]: Conclusion is far too long and ineffective. Also, somewhat   oddly unsophisticated at times. A load of odd grammatical errors. Yet the whole thing needs to be written again rather than rewriting what you have here. howyoushouldbewritingistoshowyouoneofmyownpreparedparagraphs: Composers of a text present attitudes which are shaped by their underlying personal agendas. Ted Hughes’ Birthday Letters, as a collection of poems which piece together his relationship with Sylvia Plath, works to challenge the media’s vilification of him. In â€Å"The Minotaur†, Hughes portrays Plath as the aggressor in their relationship by casting himself into the role of the victim. This is conveyed through the deliberate use of familial connotations whilst he describes Plath’s smashing of â€Å"his mother’s heirloom sideboard†, to evoke the responder’s sympathy for his plight. The sense of loss, which is furthered in the metaphor â€Å"mapped with the scars of my whole life†, illustrates the significantly damaging impact Plath has made on his past. In the violent imagery and mythical Such manipulation of textual form conveys Hughes’ coloured perspective as he attempts to reverse previously biased attitudes towards Plath, highlighting the way in which personal agenda shapes a composer’s representation.

Politics in Students’ Life Essay

The question of the participation of students in politics has always evoked a lot of discussion. It has been a very controversial subject. Two contrasting opinion is have been expressed by the two groups of people. Both the groups are equally convinced of the merits of their cases. The discussion goes on between the students, teachers, politicians and other well-wishers of the student community. In spite of their best efforts, no satisfactory or convincing solution has so far been found cut. Those who oppose the participation of students in politics put up a strong case. They argue the t politics is a dirty game. It creates – groups and parties and leads to permanent enmities. It disturbs the peace of mind of the students. The primary duty of a student is to pay single-minded, attention to his studies; He is supposed to lead a life of penance or Tapasya. He cannot afford to take part in the luxury of politics. Politics causes a great interference in the studies of the students. Interest in politics leads a student to an active participation in strikes, demonstrations and processions. At times, it brings him into a serious clash with the college authorities – or the police. May be, he lands himself in jail. All this disrupts his studies and he is pushed off the rails. He loses his real purpose in life and goes astray. Participation in politics thus spoils a student’s career and makes him useless for any purpose other than strikes, demonstrations and slogan-shouting. Those who support the participation of students in politics make out an equally strong case. They argue that education does not mean mere literacy. It means a total and all-round development of a student’s personality. It makes him aware of what is happening in his country and in the world around him. It also develops in him the qualities of leadership. Instead of being – a timid, shy book- worm, he grows into an aggressive, dominating and alert Youngman who knows how to fight the battle of life. Participation in politics trains a student to be a good citizen. It gives him training in the democratic way of life. He grows into a responsible and cultured citizen who is an asset to the nation it creates in him a sense of patriotism. He knows his duties towards his country. He has a fair knowledge of the world. He develops debating skill and he can always put forward his point of view with force and conviction. He develops all the qualities of head and heart. He is trained for leadership. As a leader in the making, he develops such qualities as courage, sincerity of purpose, a spirit of service, sympathy for the fellowmen, self-discipline and devotion to duty. Student period is the formative period in one’s life. A student must develop all such qualities in him during this period as enable him to lead a successful life. If we study the lives of our of them did take an active part in politics even during their student days. Now, it is difficult to pronounce any verdict in favor of one or the other point of view. The golden mean would probably be the best way out. A student should take part in politics, but is should not be an active participation. All activities are good if one remains within reasonable limits. Students should, therefore, pay attention to their studies. They should at the same time, keep themselves informed about, that is happening around them. They should not hesitate – from jumping into politics if the’ situation threatens the unity or the freedom of the country. So this was an essay on student politics.

The Economic Growth in the US Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Economic Growth in the US - Term Paper Example Roubini claims that the current account deficits may be related to the appreciation or depreciation of a currency (2005). A national currency weakens when the inflow of capital in the country cannot fully finance a current account deficit, that is, the supply of financing from the capital account is low (Roubini 2005). As it is seen, capital inflows and outflows play an important role in this relation. Short-term and long-term interest rates, political risk factors, the GDP growth rate, and other economic factors determine the capital flows and are the direct causes of the currency fluctuations. Roubini calls all these â€Å"the law of gravity† for a currency (2005).   Still, as it was mentioned above, sometimes the laws of gravity are defied (Roubini 2005). The current account deficit worsens so much that the trajectory of its falling recoils reversely on the national currency. In 2005, the US dollar appreciated despite all dooming predictions. Which were the factors responsible for such a turn? According to Roubini’s opinion, there are three major factors that made it possible for the US dollar to maintain its status quo: 1/ The US short-term interest rates were kept tightened as compared to Europe and Japan, where they were on hold;   2/ The economic growth rate in the US was higher than in the European Union and Japan; 3/ The US Government adopted the Homeland Investment Act as of October 2004, which was meant to allow companies to repatriate offshore cash balances at a reduced tax rate (Roubini 2005). In 2006 the US current account deficit sloped down even more dramatically than during the previous year. According to the latest data, it increased to $218.4 billion in the second quarter of 2006 (Weinberg 2006). Economists do not cease to debate about the real and hypothetical explanations as to the causes worsening the overall picture of the US economy, in general, and the current account deficit, in particular. To generalize different standpoints, all debating boils down to two groups of explanations: domestic and exterior causes.

Leading in a changing world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leading in a changing world - Essay Example This paper tends to discuss the importance of ethical leadership in business, with focus on fashion industry, and how unethical leadership leads to business failure. Ethical leadership means â€Å"ethically motivating others in ethical directions† consisting of both â€Å"procedural† and â€Å"substantive† (character-based) aspects (Chumir 1992). The procedural dimension of ethical leadership includes problem-solving and decision-making techniques within the circle of ethics. The substantive aspect of ethical leadership includes knowledge, strong standards and courage to follow ethical directions despite strong opposition. Dr. Bill Grace (2007), the founder of the Center of Ethical Leadership, has put forth a â€Å"4-V Model of Ethical Leadership† that correlates the substantive (inner values, principles and standards) with the procedural (words, actions and deeds) dimensions of ethical leadership so that effective decision-making can be done. The substantive virtues include values, voice, vision, virtue; and, procedural virtues include framing actions according to ethics, task scheduling, problem solving, and decisio n making. Ethical behavior of leaders is just as important in the fashion industry as in any other field (Paulins and Hillery 2009). Fashion industry is based on fashion marketing and fashion buying- processes which must be based on ethics to get the fashion reach the hands of common people. Ethical procedures in fashion merchandising retail are necessary to make the product reach the department stores and hi-fi boutiques. Fashion industry is such a high-end business where unethical behavior proves to be fatal for the company. High-end profits in fashion industry make it very tempting for company owners and business to get involved in unethical behavior (Xaxx 2013). There are many brands in the market which use sweatshops and

Project Management in IT Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Project Management in IT Industry - Essay Example An information technology project has four dimensions referred commonly as Four P’s. These four dimensions include people, process, product and project. People are the human beings used in the project activities. They are organized into effective teams, motivated to perform top quality work and coordinated to fulfill effective communication. Process is the methodology used for managing the activities and getting the tasks completed on time to achieve the set goals and objectives. Product is the needs of the customers constituted into tasks and positioned for action by the software team. Project is the IT enabled services or organization that enables success of the product, process and people (Ahmed 2009)There are three factors which are traded in the management of project. The first factor is time, second is cost and the third is performance. A project is successful only if it is completed on time, meets the performance requirements and it is well within the budget. There are three constraints in managing an IT project that impacts the quality; the project scope, time and cost. All the three constraints determine the quality of the project Appendix A gives illustration of trade-off amongst these three constraints to achieve the quality in the form of a triangle.It is not only important to manage project scope, time and cost but also it is essential to manage the project quality, communication and risks. Quality is the attainment of product or service as per defined specifications.... Product is the needs of the customers constituted into tasks and positioned for action by the software team. Project is the IT enabled services or organization that enables success of the product, process and people (Ahmed 2009) There are three factors which are traded in the management of project. The first factor is time, second is cost and the third is performance. A project is successful only if it is completed on time, meets the performance requirements and it is well within the budget. There are three constraints in managing an IT project that impacts the quality; the project scope, time and cost. All the three constraints determine the quality of the project Appendix A gives illustration of trade-off amongst these three constraints to achieve the quality in the form of a triangle (Ahmed 2009) It is not only important to manage project scope, time and cost but also it is essential to manage the project quality, communication and risks. Quality is the attainment of product or se rvice as per defined specifications. Communication is the exchange of messages amongst the project stake-holders. Risks are the uncertainties associated with the project scope, time and cost (Ahmed 2009) Scope Management Project Scope is the area of work bound by cost and time. The success of the project mostly depends on the understanding of the tasks to be included and excluded from the work-load of the project. It is therefore essential that the scope of the project or in simple words the work-load to be done in a project is well defined and properly comprehended (Warner 2010) Defining scope of the project is the first thing in project management. The quality, cost, time, risks and communication depend heavily on the description of project

Conformity and obedience Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Conformity and obedience - Research Paper Example To the contrary those who rebelled or disobeyed probably got eaten by a tiger or fell off a cliff in the primitive settings of our species’ development. (Kassin, et.al, 2007) Hence, obedience to significant others has a definite value. In other words, â€Å"child socialization values, the values that parents hold in high regard and try to impart to their children, occupy a central place in the studies of the family and social stratification. Socialization values not only condition parental behavior in childrearing practices, they also help shape children's value systems and behavior, which affect their life chances and pathways to success.† (Xiao, 1999, p.641) Conformity has its value too, in terms of its social utility. In order for societies to maintain cohesion and harmony, a certain degree of shared virtues, behaviour and values are to be upheld by all members of the society. Otherwise, discord and disharmony are likely to ensue. As the famous adage ‘When in R ome, be a Roman’ hints, conformity holds great survival value for any individual anywhere in the world. But it must be remembered that our country is founded on principles of individual freedom and rights and the concept of ‘individualism’ is cherished and held dear by most of the citizens. Hence there are equally powerful and legitimate countervailing tendencies in the form of conformity and individualism. As author Wilfred McClay notes succinctly in his journal article for The Virginia Quarterly Review, â€Å"As the example of Huck Finn suggests, American thought and expression have always been rich with figures of heroic individuality-and correspondingly poor in convincing and binding representations of community or social obligation. Whether one considers our accounts of the great colonial religious controversies, such as those involving rebels Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson, or the moral fables embedded in our popular culture, such as that offered in th e movies One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Dead Poets' Society, and Fiddler on the Roof, we seem to have a boundless appetite for fables of personal liberation. We are almost invariably asked to side with the put-upon individual, cast as an unjustly thwarted soul yearning to breathe free, and we are instructed to hiss at the figures of social or political authority, the John Winthrops and Nurse Ratcheds of life, whose efforts to sustain order establish them instead as monsters and enemies of humanity.† (McClay, 2001, p.392) One particular illustration of a call for individualism is seen in the movie Dead Poets Society. In this Robin Williams starrer, topics of conformity and obedience are explored cinematically. Williams, who moves into a vacant English professor position in a up-scale prep school (Welton Academy in Vermont), finds his students tough to deal with in the beginning. The students are prone to make trouble both inside and outside the classroom. Williams takes u pon himself to channel their energies into more creative activities and subjects of poetry and literature serve as inspirational tool, with which he wins over the minds and hearts of the pupils. The students start behaving much better as a result and in the process engage in the learning and enjoy the classroom experience. With stimulated minds and liberated thoughts, the students are confounded and conflicted by the emergent and the established. Despite

Education of Looked after Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Education of Looked after Children - Essay Example This essay stresses that councils are judged on the proportion of children and young people who are engaged in education, training or employment at the age of nineteen. Again, performance against that indicator is improving. Although it is important to focus on these indicators as useful in helping authorities assess their performance it is also essential that local authorities as corporate parents have high expectations of the children and young people in our care, and that these include but also go beyond educational attainment. This paper makes a conclusion that certainly some of the poor achievement can be explained by a range of other factors, looked after children are more likely to be from groups that traditionally tend to do less well in education, and they are more likely to have special educational needs and to be statemented. The performance assessment framework indicators do adjust for these factors which demonstrate that even taking these into account looked after children as a group are not doing as well as their peers. With the improvement in the early support available to families, fewer children will face such adverse experiences and that a greater number can be supported safely within their families. Research also suggests that there is often room for children's services to act more decisively at earlier stages in children's lives. The children can be at risk of underachieving at school because they have experienced disruption to their family life and education. Growing up can be a bewilderin g and confusing time for those persons who are in the care system. It is important to make sure that they receive the support, guidance and encouragement that they need. Some may have low expectations, poor emotional and psychological health and a lack of family support. Education is an important pathway to a better life for them. Each local

The Construction Requirements Placed on Commercial Buildings Term Paper

The Construction Requirements Placed on Commercial Buildings - Term Paper Example ral barriers to existing facilities, which must be â€Å"readily accessible† – that is, businesses must determine whether it could fulfill such removals given the project costs. Otherwise, such non-compliance would cause the company to be charged with discrimination against the disabled. Exempted from this rule are private clubs, places of worship and historical landmarks. The APA is a unique piece of legislation in that it is flexible, allowing much leeway for legislators and implementers alike to amend and strengthen the law in accordance with the changes in society that directly affect disabled people. This is also in anticipation of the friction that might occur between advancing the rights of persons with disabilities and furthering the profit-making potential of business entities (ADA Update: A Primer for Small Business 9). Not surprisingly, a number of regulations related to the law have been made and eventually revised through the years. Along with the ADAâ€⠄¢s enactment, the Standards for Accessible Design were published in 1991 which defined the merits and requirements for an accessible facility for the compliance of businesses. Implemented by the Disability Rights Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, the standards were influenced by the ADA Accessibility Guidelines formulated by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Andrews 19). In 2004, the justice department and the Board thought it necessary to revise and improve the guidelines based on a list of suggestions submitted by the American Institute of Architects ("The Angle: New ADA Standards." AIA.org). On September 15, 2010, the justice department published a new set of standards for accessible design in the Federal Register, in tune with numerous developments that affect the... As observed, the technical specifications included in the 1991 and 2010 ADA Standards are not necessarily strict. While details are provided as to the measurements, placing of amenities and other related factors, there is no explicit mention of any enforcement clause. This implies that small businesses which could not easily afford the requirements of the law may choose to adjust the dimensions depending on the size and floor area of its building, with the help of reliable civil engineers. Business owners must not use this realization as a scapegoat to not fulfilling the provisions in, say, around 10 to 15 years, since it is posited that their commercial endeavors would have progressed by that time.Businesses still find it hard to comply with the law’s provisions. From the interview conducted with the ADA review specialist and the survey of non-compliance issues, it can be deduced that construction and design professionals could not meet at the center in terms of equipment and building material specifications. Businesses, on the other hand, are confronted with the challenge of using the appropriate materials for new constructions and structural alterations that are ADA-compliant, while still being wary of the expense limits. Apparently though, business owners failed to realize the long-term benefits of ADA compliance not just for the benefit of people of disabilities, but also for the convenience it can bring to the employees and even to the general public, given the increasing complication of modern working and living.

Validity and Reliability of the Myers Briggs Test Term Paper

Validity and Reliability of the Myers Briggs Test - Term Paper Example The history of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator holds accountable Carl Jung and his personality theory as the primary basis and the chief influence of Katharine C. Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers in the development of the MBTI, a project that lasted for two decades and a half (Bayne, 1997; Morgan & Morgan, 2007; Quenk, 2009).   Jung published his book â€Å"Psychological Types† in the early 1920’s which was later on translated in English and published in America.   Briggs at that time was also developing her own theory of personality types which she later on abandoned upon discovery of Jung’s theory which resembled her ideas but had better structure and form.   It then started the long journey of Briggs and Myers that concluded with the creation of the MBTI.   Guided by Jung’s theory, their observations of individuals led them to the conclusion that â€Å"typology could provide a useful way of describing healthy personality differences and importantly, that such assessment could be put to practical use in people’s lives† (Morgan & Morgan, 2007, p. 336). Such non-judgmental and realistic underpinnings of the instrument are perhaps the reasons for its massive influence and application. It is interesting to note that none of them have studied and trained under Jungian psychoanalysis yet they accepted his ideas and studied it enthusiastically for 25 years. To begin with, both were not psychologists and do not have a strong foundation in statistics.   In the 1940’s, psychological testing was a very young field and inventory type questionnaires were not popular.   While psychology often measures characteristic, Myers and Briggs were more drawn towards preferences which identify the dominant functions of individuals.   At that time, they did not have the convenience of computers making item analysis, so they relied heavily on friends who they classified as â€Å"thinking† and â€Å"feel ing† individuals.  

Water cooler Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Water cooler - Essay Example anizations by providing information that theft in organizations in the recent past has lead to a great loss of organizations resources to a tune of over $200million each year. The most recent form of theft identified is called ‘sweethearting’, and this is where employees give products to clients away for free to loyal and preferred customers. This is common with employees at the exit like cashiers. The article relates to the topic since it tends to enlighten organizations on how to handle its resources to prevent waste, it also shows how the US economy is affected by the losses from the bad Human Resource practices i.e. $200million loss each year. To address ‘sweethearting’, for example there are both short term and long term measures. The short term measure as per the article is educating the employees on the ramifications of the act on both the employee and employer and the ethics behind it. The long term solution is the employment of thorough recruitment, well screened. Screening question should focus on employee social acceptance, risk taking and ethics. This makes sure that the right click of employees is recruited for employment. An example of water cooler talk was that on the article examination.com about Frank Gore’s of San Francisco 49ers team unhappy state and need for another contract even after being involved in many games. The head coach refused to act on water cooler

Two Kinds Essay Example for Free

Two Kinds Essay She is a mother who got a second chance at having a family and is very controlling thinking she is doing what is best or her child. The narrator which is the daughter; she starts off as a normal child in the story, but the conflict between her and her mother causes her to be resentful and a underachiever. There is the father who does not say anything in the story but seems to agree with the mother. There is the Aunt Lindo that is really her mothers friend who seems to brag about her child Waverly; a character in the story who seems quite spoiled. And the piano teacher Mr. Chong who the daughter likes to refer to as â€Å"Old Chong†. He is a deaf piano teacher that has no idea that the daughter is not playing the right tunes. The mother who is very strict on her daughter, she did not think she was pushing the daughter to far. The mother felt the daughter was not trying hard enough, which she showed she was very disappointed. The mother went as far as insulting the daughter and blaming her or the way she looked. In the beginning of the story the was very excited to become a prodigy. She tried real hard to get it right and please her parents. The daughter tried real hard to find out what she was perfect at. That was until the daughter no longer felt like she would ever be perfect. She spent so much time believing that she was perfect and wanting to please her parents every time she could not do something right she knew how much her mother would be disappointed and she also disappointed herself as well. The daughters whole life revolved around her being a perfect little girl. The mother just new that there was something her daughter could master. The little girl started to doubt herself, but the mother tried everything she heard or seen these little prodigy kids in America do. The Mother started to get angry because she felt her daughter was not trying hard enough. The little girl started to believe that she was just an ordinary little girl, but knew that was not except-able to her mother. Her mother spent years comparing her daughter to these other children. She was trying to find her daughters hidden talent. The mother felt her daughter could do anything she put her mind to. I think the mother felt her daughter had chances that she never had in China and did not want her to ruin her opportunity. The daughter did not understand this she just wanted to be a normal little girl and have fun. The little girl was over trying to be perfect, but the mother was not ready to give up. The mother kept on trying to show her daughter how these other kids can do these things, and that she should be able to do them as well. The mother showed her disappointment time and time again, not knowing that she was making her daughter feel self-conscious and resentful towards her. The daughter new she was never going to be perfect, and being herself would never be good enough for her mother. The little girl started to feel anger towards her parents and wanted to rebel against them. The little girl feeling so much anger with her mother would purposely fail everything her mother wanted her to do. The little girl was hoping if she disappointed her mother enough she would give up on her the way the little girl gave up on herself. The mother refusing to give up felt she new her daughter would be great at something if her daughter would just put her mind to it she could do anything. So the mother just pushed harder not knowing she was pushing her daughter away from her and away from her dreams or her. The mother was so determined even know they could not afford lessons the mother made arrangements to trade work for piano lessons. I think the mother felt that at this point the daughter would see how hard she was willing to work for her and maybe appreciate it and work harder. The little girl felt differently she was angry towards her mother and felt as if her mother did not except her for who she was and she wanted to get back at her. The daughter practiced every day with Mr. Chong not even trying her mind wondering in other places. Mr. Chong was a deaf man who could only see her hand movements, so that is how he taught her. The girl caught on fast that Mr. Chong eyes could not keep up with her hands so she used it to her advantage not to learn. Mr. Chong so proud thinking she was listening to him he was very excited because she learned how to fake him out. The mother bragged about her daughter playing the piano everyday to her friend, although the mother never herd her play until the recital. The mother wanted so bad to see her child in front of the room making her proud like all of the other mothers before her, but when the little girl went up on stage the mother didnt know that she had been just wasting her time. The little girl even had her self fooled she for a second thought maybe she could play, well maybe if Mr. Chong thought she could play maybe it was true. As she played she seen the embarrassment on her parents face; the only one who seemed to enjoy her performance was Mr. Chong. The parents wanted to run out of the room, but know their pride could never allow them to do that they stayed until the end. The little girl wanted to show her mother that she was not what she wanted her to be, but was shocked and just wish her mother would say something. When they returned home the daughter taught the mother would give up on her; she thought she knew for sure that her daughter had no talent. The little girl sat down to watch TV which angered the mother. The mother did not give up she wanted her to practice. The daughter seen how angry the mother was and was scared, so the daughter not giving up the fight hit the mother where it hurt the most. The little girl told her mother she wishes she were not alive knowing how bad that ould hurt her. The little girl won the battle against her mother; the mother gave up all hope. I think the mother felt a piece of her self die that day knowing her daughter would hurt her so bad. I think the mother knew she was loosing the daughter. I think there was a lot of misscommunication between the mother and the daughter which is very realistic in real life. It makes you wounder how Amy Tan got where she is today. The mother wanted to start over and give her child the perfect life and the daughter just thought her mother just wanted her to be a perfect child. In the end it was very ironic because they both lost the battle against each other. They did not have a good relationship because they couldnt make scene of their differences. The mother pushed her child away from her and any talent she may have had. The child chose to not even finish college. I think the child forgave her mother when it was to late and the mother never found the words to say to her daughter until the end the stubborn lady still went back to the piano,and the child finally learned how to respect and listen to what her mother had to tell her about her talent. â€Å"Two Kinds† (Tan 1952, p. 524)

Evaluate Inclusive Practices for Children with Special Needs

Evaluate Inclusive Practices for Children with Special Needs According to Ainscow et al. (1999:1) the Green Paper Excellence for All Children and the follow-up document Meeting Special Educational Needs: A Programme of Action place inclusion at the centre of policy and practice and politicians now emphasise their commitment to social justice and inclusion rather than competition. This new mood has facilitated an increased demand for mainstream schools to include children who would have in the past been sent to special schools (Thomas et al. 1998:1). There are a number of strategies that schools and parents can adopt to enable all children to be accommodated in an inclusive setting and make learning a more enjoyable experience. Inclusive practices adopted in mainstream settings focusing on secondary schools, will be critically evaluated in the following paragraphs using specific case studies to inform the analysis. Obstacles which hinder effective practice and policy will also be examined. History of Inclusion According to Walker (2009:3), during the 1980s and 90s, new special schools were given much investment to meet the needs of those with learning difficulties and physical disabilities. The justification for this approach was that mainstream schools could not provide these children with additional support needed. However, there has been a clear shift in thinking since the beginning of the 21st century with many secondary schools closing or merging with mainstream schools. Champions of this development have asserted that the social element of education is critical to all children and that childrens learning requirements are best met in an inclusive setting. Consequently, mainstream schools have developed a number of strategies to help cope with the requirements of children with special educational needs and they have to demonstrate that they are addressing the educational needs of all their pupils. Additionally, since September 2008, all schools have added a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) to their Senior Leadership Team (SLT). Defining Inclusive Education According to Stubbs (1998:1) inclusive education is a strategy contributing towards the ultimate goal of promoting an inclusive society, one which enables allà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to participate in and contribute to that society. Difference is respected and valuedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Thus, inclusive education is child-centred, acknowledging that children are individuals with different learning requirements. As well as improving schools, inclusive education increases awareness of human rights and reduces discrimination. According to the Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education (CSIE, 1996, cited in Thomas et al. 1998:15) an inclusive school is community based; is not exclusive or rejecting; is barrier-free; is accessible to all members both educationally in terms of curricular and physically in relation to buildings; and promotes collaboration between other schools and all those involved in the childs welfare (Thomas et al. 1998:16). Ainscow (2005:15) asserts that inclusion is characterised by four key elements. The first one defines inclusion as a process. In other words, inclusion is an endless search to find better ways of responding to diversity. Here, differences are viewed as a stimulus for cultivating learning for children. Secondly, inclusion focuses on identifying and removing barriers. This involves collating and analysing information from a range of sources so as to plan for improvements in policy and practice. Thirdly, inclusion is concerned with the participation, presence and achievement of all students. Children must frequently and punctually attend school, their views must be listened to and acted upon and they must be provided with the tools for achievement in learning across the curriculum. Finally, inclusion focuses on those groups of children who may be a risk of exclusion, marginalisation or underachievement. This involves careful monitoring of those statistically most at risk and a commitmen t to ensuring their presence, participation and achievement in mainstream schools. However, Ainscow (2005:14) asserts that there is still confusion about what inclusion actually means which is rooted in central government policy statements. The term social inclusion has been associated primarily with improving attendance and reducing exclusions. The concept of inclusive education on the other hand, has appeared in most national guidance in connection with the rights of individual children identified as having special educational needs to be educated in mainstream schools. More recently, Ofsted has introduced the term educational inclusion, noting that effective schools are inclusive schools. The minor differences between these ideals, contributes to a lack of common understanding amongst stakeholders and leads to subsequent difficulties in implementing educational reform (Fullan, 1991, cited in Ainscow, 2005:14). Defining Special Educational Needs According to DirectGov (2010:1) the term special educational needs refers to children who have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it more difficult for them to learn than most children of the same age. According to Frederickson and Cline (2002:35) a child has a learning difficulty if they have a far greater difficulty in learning than most pupils of a similar age and have a disability which hinders them from being able to make use of school facilities of the kind provided to pupils in schools in the local authority area. According to Topping and Maloney (2005:3) the old system of categorisation of children located the problem within the child, conceiving it is as a deficit in the individual, and applying a medical tool as if learning difficulties were some kind of disease with labels such as educationally subnormal being applied. However, from 1980 onwards political pressure from disability groups had begun to change societal values and pathological models were replaced by social and educational models of disability, which acknowledged that educational difficulties are dependent upon the educational context in which the child is situated, and the of quality teaching they receive. However, although inclusive discourse encompasses ideas that appear to be contrary to the medicalisation of special educational needs, evidence reveals that this is not a message that has been delivered effectively to pupils leading to the discriminatory treatment of children who are not obviously different from so-called normal children. According to Abberley (1987, cited in Florian et al. 2006:38) the medical model sees difference in relation to disease and endeavours to quantify individual impairments in terms of implications for standard treatments. Oliver (1990, cited in Florian, 2006:39) argues that educational assessments have historically identified the particular dysfunctional characteristics of a child in order to prescribe treatment. Inclusion on the other hand, views children with special educational needs as valued members of society who are totally normal people who just happen to have these extra differences. All schools in the UK have a register of pupils with special educational needs which holds details of pupils learning needs and includes information regarding any emotional and behavioural difficulties they are experiencing. This information goes towards the development of an individual education plan (IEP), which outlines learning targets for staff to include in their teaching (Visser, 2000:8). The biggest increase of special educational needs in mainstream school has been for children presenting learning difficulties. However, teachers express most concern about pupils with emotional and behaviour difficulties perhaps because they are viewed as most likely to damage the education of their classmates as well as being most stressful for the teacher. It is also evident that some children who are perceived to have special needs in one classroom are not necessarily seen as having special needs in another. Moreover, teachers tend to perceive learning difficulties more readily in children of South Asian origin (Topping and Maloney, 2005:6). Inclusive Practice in Secondary Schools So far, this paper has outlined the historical development of inclusion and provided a definition of inclusive practices and special educational needs. The following paragraphs will illustrate how inclusive practices can be used effectively in mainstream secondary education, using specific case studies as examples. According to Ainscow et al. (1999:2), as a result of half-day conferences with key stakeholders including parents and pupils, it was concluded that there are a six inter-connecting themes which are critical to the development of more inclusive practices within LEAs, which include policy development; funding strategies; processes and structures; the management of change; external influences and partnerships. There was general support for the view that an LEAs policy for inclusive practice should contain a review of future basic principles; capable of being applied to other policy areas; clear, despite differences of opinion between stakeholders; and supported by central government. Funding was perceived to be a significant factor in creating more inclusive arrangements. Across the LEAs, there was great disparity of funding between the most and least needy schools which influenced the extent to which each school was able to meet the needs of their pupils without external support. Hence, it was felt that LEA funding policies would facilitate progress towards inclusive practice and contribute towards more coherent funding strategies (Ainscow et al. 1999:2). In relation to processes and structures, it was felt that existing arrangements could inhibit inclusive practice and so there was an identified need to set up various interim arrangements to help move things forward. For example, some LEAs viewed the work of classroom assistants as integral to inclusive practice. Others felt that this arrangement led to further segregation within mainstream schools. Some LEAs had set-up training for classroom assistants and for teachers on working with another adult in the classroom (Ainscow et al. 1999:2). The conference revealed a strong feeling that management processes should be reviewed. It was identified that there are frequently dilemmas arising in decision-making amongst officers, advisers, educational psychologists and parents because they all have their own interpretations of what inclusive policies mean. This requires closer scrutiny so that there can be closer agreement between all those involved in the childs welfare (Ainscow et al. 1999:3). There was considerable focus on the importance of partnership working with particular reference to the role that LEA support services can play in cultivating effective partnerships with parents. It was considered crucial for there to be good communication between teachers and parents in order to iron out differences and misunderstandings. This view is supported by Beveridge (2005:95) who adds that in order for reciprocal support to occur, communication must be underpinned by mutual trust and respect if it is to be regarded as a genuine partnership. Appleton and Minchoms (1995, cited in Beveridge, 2005:95) empowerment model, focuses specifically on promoting parental control and highlights the need for professionals to tailor their involvement in ways that are responsive to the needs of individual parents and families. At a classroom level, there are a set of conditions which form the foundation of inclusive education for pupils with learning difficulties. Such conditions include: an opportunity for pupils to participate in the decision-making process; a positive attitude about the learning abilities of all pupils; teacher knowledge about learning difficulties; skilful application of specific instructional techniques; and parent and teacher support (Tilstone et al. 2003:22). However, Tilstone et al. (2003:22) assert that a positive attitude alone is not sufficient to achieve inclusive education. If a teacher is unskilled, regardless of how open-minded they are, they will fail to provide adequate education for pupils with special educational needs if they are unsupported. Similarly, skill in the various teaching methods needs to be supplemented with knowledge of pupils learning difficulties and the belief that such pupils can learn. Ainscow (1999:4) has observed that teachers who appear to be effective do pay attention to certain important aspects of classroom life. They recognise that the initial stages of any lesson are crucial to help pupils to understand the meaning of what is about to occur and they help children to recall previous experiences to which new learning can be related. They also acknowledge that the two most important resources are themselves and the children. Thus, pupils are frequently encouraged to think aloud, either with the class as a whole or as a result of the teachers questioning. However, in order for teaching methods to be truly effective much of it needs to be directed at the whole class. According to Ainscow (1999:5) individualized responses, based on systematic programmes of intervention, are now a thing of the past and the planning frame now needs to be directed at the whole class. When integration efforts rely on importing practices from special education they are likely to lead to new forms of segregation within mainstream settings (Fulcher, 1989, cited in Ainscow, 1999:5). English schools have experienced a significant increase in largely untrained classroom assistants who work with vulnerable children and their individualized programmes in mainstream education. When such support is withdrawn teachers feel they can no longer cope (Ainscow, 1999:5). Another important aspect of inclusive education is to ensure that all pupils have access to the National Curriculum. According to Rose (2003:28) the introduction of entitlement of all pupils to a curriculum which is broad and balanced has enabled a widespread recognition that all pupils have a right to receive a curriculum which contains some common elements. Pressure to apply the national curriculum has meant that a number of schools have addressed the ten subjects in such a way that the importance of the extra curricular elements has been diminished. Therefore, establishing a balance so that those with special educational needs can benefit, may demand that greater emphasis is placed on subjects that lie outside the core curriculum (Rose, 2003:32). In the Dearing Review of the National Curriculum in 1994, Richard Byers wrote pupils personal and social development: the cross curricular skills, themes and dimensions; methodological and practice-related notions like group work and prob lem solving must continue to be seen as of prime importance (Byers, 1994, cited in Rose, 2003:32). Improved formative assessments, according to Black and Williams (2001:3) are another way of ensuring a more inclusive environment for children with special educational needs. Many studies show that improved formative assessment helps low attainers more than the rest, and so reduces the spread of attainment whilst also raising it overall. One investigative study devoted to students with learning difficulties revealed that frequent assessment feedback helps both groups enhance their learning (Fuchs et al. 1997, cited in Black and Wiliams 2001:3). So far, this assignment has focused on the ways in which mainstream schools can successfully implement inclusive education. The following paragraphs provide some examples of the way in which inclusive practice has been introduced in mainstream secondary schools. Elias et al. (2002:1) conducted an in-depth case study of an effective inclusive school in the south west of England. The findings revealed a number of positive results. Respondents expressed positive attitudes towards inclusion to the extent that the general school ethos could be viewed as inclusive. To illustrate: students with special educational needs were not excluded from any activity in their class, there was very little withdrawal from lessons with most support provided in-class, all pupils participated in the mainstream life of the school, and there was a heavy focus on terminology and language with curriculum and learning support being replaced by SEN. Additionally, parents were exceptionally pleased with the communication they received from the teachers and the students with SEN who had been integrated benefitted academically. It was not clear whether they benefitted so much socially although this might have been because they had to take a bus and had less opportunity to b uild friendship out of school hours. School participants were pleased with the way that the physical environment was restructured and professionals felt personal satisfaction in implementing inclusive practice. However they did feel that the policy should be LEA-wide rather than restricted to a few schools. As the deputy head commented because we have a very good reputation for including students with additional needs, we have got the label that the school is good for SEN, and that is not the label that we want because we are losing the brightest of the students locally. Another example of a successful inclusive school is Hillbank, a state Secondary High school that serves a poor area in the North of England.  Ã‚   Reportedly, an estimated quarter of the local population draw some form of welfare assistance there (Ainscow and Kaplan, 2005:1). Ainscow and Kaplan (2005:1) collaborated with a group of sixteen year old students to record their views of the school in the hope that it would bring them deeper insights into what happed in the school.   Generally speaking, the students made a number of positive comments about the school and its inclusive practices, and this was supported by the impressions given by staff who also confirmed that the school had a good reputation in the local community and achieved good grades (Ainscow and Kaplan, 2005:1).   However, they did indicate that there were a number of aspects that made the school a less welcoming place. The students argued that the best and worst students were exempt from certain rules, leaving those in the middle, sometimes feeling unfairly penalized (Ainscow and Kaplan, 2005:1). Students also felt it was difficult to outlive a poor reputation in the school, even when pupils changed their behaviour and improved their academic performance. One student exhibited frustration at feeling that the teachers sometimes picked on the pupils and asserted that if you had a bad reputation one year, the teachers would still hold a grudge against you and make you feel that it was impossible to do anything right the following year (Ainscow and Kaplan, 2005). The above case studies are an illustration of the way that some schools have managed to implement inclusive practices effectively. However, the last case study especially, shows the importance of gaining the perspective of students in examining inclusive schools if one is to go beyond literal interpretations of inclusion. It also has the added benefit of allowing the students to feel that their voice is important (Ainscow and Kaplan, 2005:1). As Ainscow and Kaplan (2005) assert, inquiry based approaches can be a powerful way of stimulating the development of inclusive practices and evidence provided by students can be a powerful lever for change although this does depend on forms of leadership which encourage a willingness to address the challenges that emerge as a result of listening to the voices of young people. Obstacles An analysis of the previous paragraphs shows that there are clearly a number of practices and policies that can be introduced for a school to become sufficiently inclusive. However, there are a number of challenges that schools can face in order to fulfil the criteria needed to become an inclusive school. According to Evans and Lunt (2002) the conflicts in government policy between the standards and the league tables discourse and the inclusive schools discourse make it difficult for schools to become more inclusive. Elias et al. (2002:1) assert that the introduction of performance tables and the pressure to raise standards means that pupils with special educational needs may not be welcome in schools. The authors therefore debate whether education can be separated from the social, cultural and political context in which the school is embedded. Another issue is associated with a lack of resources within schools. Teachers often cite a lack of resources as a barrier to mainstreaming pupils with special needs. Sufficient and appropriate expert practitioner time, appropriate physical space, and the required learning and teaching materials have also been perceived to be lacking in a number of mainstream schools (Topping and Maloney, 2005:11). There is a plethora of research evidence which points to the fact that everyday practice of assessment in classrooms is beset with short-comings. Although teachers have a conscientious approach to marking they frequently fail to provide guidance on how work can be improved. Instead, marking often appears to reinforce underachievement by being too generous or unfocused and inadequate information of the pupil received by the teacher is insufficiently used to inform subsequent work (Black and Wiliams, 2001:3). There are intrinsic dangers associated with using specialist support in inclusive schools and this is evident through Depeller et al. (2005:117) analysis of Australian secondary schools where inclusive education provision relies heavily on specialist support from outside the classroom. Students with special educational needs are taught within the mainstream classroom and additional specialist services such as counselling, special education teaching and psychological assessment are required to support their placement. This type of support usually relies upon a diagnostic- prescriptive viewpoint whereby the specialist plays a central role in shaping practices. This approach can serve to marginalize pupils even further. Thus, the authors suggest that a prospective alternative may be to shift the focus from the students who are different, to the community of learners in the school. This approach uses collaborative practices to support inclusive ideals and grounds improvement efforts in c hanges in teachers knowledge as well as the cultural and organisational conditions of the school. It is important that teachers be aware of the dangers of pathologising educational difficulties as inherent within students, even when those same difficulties are employed effectively to interrogate some aspects of school practice (Ainscow, 2005:13). This is not only relevant to students with disabilities but also of those whose socioeconomic status, language, race, and gender renders them problematic to particular teachers in some schools. In view of this insight, it is necessary to develop the capacity of those within schools so as to challenge deeply ingrained deficit views of difference, which define certain types of students as lacking something (Trent et al. 1998, cited in Ainscow, 2005:13). As Ainscow (2005:14) asserts, even the most advanced teaching methods are likely to prove ineffective in the hands of those who subscribe to a belief system that views some pupils, at best, as disadvantaged and need of fixing, or worse, as deficient, hence, beyond fixing. An analysis of individual types of special educational needs reveals an understanding of how a commitment to inclusive practice can present challenges in mainstream settings. According to Wender (2000:10/11) ADHD is characterised by a range of learning disorders, shortness of attention span and hyperactivity. However, there are a number of external influences that could impact on a normal childs emotional status and behaviour which may result in them displaying behaviours with ADHD. According to the journalist Garner (2008:1) an independent Royal Commission is being called by teachers to examine why a number of children in Britain seem to be so unhappy. One theory proffers that family breakdown and social dysfunction are detrimental to the educational attainment of children and the performance of schools and colleges. Moreover, more and more pupils are resorting to suicide because of academic, social and peer pressure and the Governments obsession with standards, performance targets and testing. The implications of this finding are that if teachers are to be truly inclusive of children with special educational needs they need to try and gain a full understanding of where these needs originate from and not just assume that because children convey a certain set of systems, that it has a specific medicalized cause as the wrong diagnosis can inevitably lead to the wrong treatment and misguided teaching practice. Conclusion In conclusion, a critical evaluation of inclusive practice for children with special educational needs in secondary mainstream schools has revealed that there are a number of strategies that can be employed both at a policy level, and in classroom teaching practice that can contribute towards effective inclusive schooling. These include improved funding mechanisms and management processes; better communication and partnership working with parents and children; a positive attitude and appropriate skills held by teachers; full involvement in curriculum subjects; and improved formal assessments. An analysis of some case studies within secondary schools has also revealed the importance of taking seriously childrens viewpoints in order to inform future inclusive practice. However, there are a number of obstacles that schools face in implementing inclusive practice. The conflicts in government policy between the standards and the league tables discourse and the inclusive schools discourse make it difficult for schools to become more inclusive. There are also complaints from teachers about the lack of resources available and everyday practice of assessment in classrooms is beset with shortcomings. In addition, there is a danger of placing too much emphasis on outside specialist support which could marginalize pupils even more. Nevertheless, the case studies of inclusive practices in secondary mainstream schools do clearly show that inclusive school development is a social process and clarify the importance of engaging with different views on schools practices and policies. Thus, if educational commentators continue to collect these different forms of evidence, this may enable them to analyse barriers to learning and participation and make thoroughly informed recommendations for future inclusive practice.

Many Factors That Affect Communication Social Work Essay

Many Factors That Affect Communication Social Work Essay Interpersonal skills, majority of the managers chose interpersonal skills as their greatest strength. Managers must have a good communication skill in dealing with their stakeholders. In Catherine Lodge, our manager has effective communication skills in dealing with the entire situation with regards to residents needs if it is being met, staff, and residents families. A good company wouldnt have a very strong foundation without a team that helps in problem-solving. Care workers must be careful in recognising a problem by assessment, know the possible cause and effect, and plan for the procedure thoroughly. Team work will set in, as the person who recognises the problem will report to the team, to assess, collect all the data, and to plan the best action. Communication is still there as they are following a process of solving a problem, and in decision-making. (http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2629217?uid=3738032uid=2129uid=2uid=70uid=4sid=21101226337883) The aim of the policy is to ensure that the effective channels of communication are established, supported and maintained. It believes that the communication of good information promotes quality care, offers clients assistance in making informed choices and plays a vital role in motivating and supporting staff. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢To enable us to fulfil our statutory responsibilities to provide information. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To communicate effectively with staff about ongoing issues, policies and procedures. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To provide opportunities to consult with staff and for them to express their Views and offer ideas and suggestions. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To communicate effectively with clients and their representatives. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To promote the quality of service that we provide to our clients. Technology is moving so fast nowadays that we have many electronic aids to help us communicate. For example, smart phones can used to make calls, send text messages and emails; can used to make video call where you can see the person on the other line, can leave a voice message if its not available. There are many factors that affect communication. They are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sensory deprivation when someone cannot receive or pass information because of visual and hearing disabilities. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Foreign language when someone has different accent, different pronunciations, and/or uses sign language that the other person does not speak, or understand. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Jargon Using of medical terminology to a patients, service users, and family members that they may not understand, it is better to explain things according to the level of their understanding because understanding the facts can make something appear less scary. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Slang when a care worker uses a language that is not everyone uses, or familiar with. Cultural differences there are some things that has the same meaning but could mean different in two cultures. For example, keeping an eye contact whilst communicating is seen as being respectful, and being truthful, but for some culture like in East Asia for them it is a sign of being rude and defiant. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Distress everyone can experience distress, this can be difficult for them to clearly understand what is being said due to lack of focus. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Emotional difficulties every one of us has emotional difficulties at times and can make us upset. The negative effect is not to hear or understand clearly what the other person is is telling you and can lead to misunderstanding. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Health issues when the person is ill, he/she cannot be an effective communicator, especially service users that suffering from Parkinsons disease or Multiple Sclerosis affect an individuals ability to communicate properly, care worker should be trained and aware on how to work with these people. Communication Audit it is a method use to identify the Strengths and Weakness of your current and external communications. Organisations recognise the benefit of keeping their customers, clients, investors, partners and/or members aware of happening with in their organisation. The techniques they choose are varied, ranging from the tried and true e.g. e-mailings, and website postings, variant of high technology tools. Placing a suggestions box at the front door gives the residents family to write their comments and suggestions anonymously or they can name their names, and/or they can even go straight to the managers, seniors for their comments. Making quarter year survey that requires family member of clients to answer a questionnaire, and they are free to add their comments. When Stakeholders reach out: developing and implementing a promotion plan We go into developing a promotion plan. We offer steps and examples. From there we look at what a communication plan entails. Emerging from this we look at relating to the media. We highlight the importance of identifying key messages and who your target audience is for different promotion work. Finally, we offer lots of suggestions for nervous speechmakers. Promoting your organisation: when people reach in: A large part of an organisations work happens through telephone contact and with visitors coming to your office. If you put people off with a negative attitude when people phone in or visit, you will probably end up having an organisational image not to your liking. So, we look at promoting your organisations image in this context. We give ideas about your reception area, how you receive people, handling phone calls and e-mails. And we end off looking at how you can monitor and evaluate your organisat ion. Task 2 Report Catherine Lodge is a residential care home that aims to provide continuous professional care to all its residents within a safe, friendly and relaxed environment. It caters up to 39 elderly residents providing each individual with a personal form of service derived from a carefully formulated care plan that meets their needs. This is provided both in short and long term basis depending on each individual. Since each resident has specific needs that range from physical, psychological, social or spiritual needs on a 24 hour basis it requires a certain level of personnel to facilitate this. Show me the money! Well, thats what financial data do. They show you the money. They show you where a companys money came from, where it went, and where it is now. There are four main financial data. They are: (1)  balance sheets; (2)  income statements; (3)  cash flow statements; and (4)  statements of shareholders equity. Balance sheets show what a company owns and what it owes at a fixed point in time. Income statements show how much money a company made and spent over a period of time. Cash flow statements show the exchange of money between a company and the outside world also over a period of time. The fourth financial statement, called a statement of shareholders equity, shows changes in the interests of the companys shareholders over time. A balance sheet provides detailed information of companys asset, liabilities and shareholders equity. Assets are things that company owns that have value. They can either be sold or used by the company to provide services that can also be sold. It also includes physical property of the residents that can/cant be touched but nevertheless exist and have value. Liabilities are amounts of money that a company owes to others e.g. all kinds of obligations like borrowed money from a bank, payroll a company owes to its employees, environmental costs, taxes owed, and obligations to provide good quality of services. Shareholders equity or capital Income statements is a report that shows how much revenue a company earned over a specific period, it also shows the companys net earnings and losses. Cash flow statement report a companys inflows and outflows of cash. This is important because a company needs to have enough cash on hand to pay its expenses and purchase assets. While an  income statement  can tell you whether a company made a profit, a cash flow statement can tell you whether the company generated cash. It shows the net increase or decrease in cash for a period. In Residential home, we have enough staff to work in the morning, in the afternoon and at night. We have a monthly staff meeting to raise our concern at work, problems with our colleagues, and suggestions on resident/s care plan, and we also have a separate Senior Carers meeting, the Manager/Owner and the Deputy Manager always presents the Carers the needs of good communication, and team work. We have supervision every 3 months, the manager is giving feedback to identify our strengths and weaknesses, and if they think the staff needs to be trained, and appraisal every 6 months in which we rate ourselves, and the Deputy Manager is rating the staff as well in our performance, we can voice out our own opinion, about the job, colleagues and if we are getting support from the Managers. The company also provided us mandatory training, manuals, booklets, presentation from the lecturer and a questionnaire that we need to answer at the end of the training. Catherine Lodge has a seasonal newsl etter where they introduce new staff member, residents who celebrated their birthday, and about the achievements of the company. A good communication skill is very important, specially working in care settings. Working with vulnerable adults requires more understanding, must have different techniques and strategies use in supporting communication between the individual with specific communication needs. Good communication with vulnerable adult is essential. This includes identifying behaviour triggers, by means of visual prompts and speaking in short, clear sentences. I considered that the social workers used verbal and non-verbal forms of communications and applied the principles of active listening. Some people with disabilities are not able to use speech as their principle means of communication. They may however be able to use an alternative method of communication such as symbols and symbolic languages. It is vital to recognise that symbols are different from pictures. Pictures generally convey a lot of information at once but their focus is often unclear. Symbols, on the other hand, are often designed to convey a particular meaning. Symbols or symbolic languages can be applied to signify many aspects of verbal communication. Symbols can be presented through visual, auditory and/or tactile media and can take the form of gestures, photos, manual signs, printed words, objects, reproduced spoken words or Braille. Symbols help understanding which can increase involvement, choice and confidence. It helps support creativity and self expressions. Using mobile phones at work is strictly prohibited, as it may interfere in whatever the carer is doing or it may cause accident e.g if the Carer is feeding, doing morning care. Some residents may have challenging behaviour that sometimes affects the carer itself, they best react in a calm, quiet environment, Carer must consider the Residents preference, cultural difference, language and environment, assumptions, judging, noise, and distraction. The use of technology helps the care workers by having an easy access by just typing the residents name all his/her information daily report will come out in one click, comparison graph of residentials weight incomparable from past to present will easily available in one click, not unlike if it is just written and filled you have to search for it and check the book where you filed it. Make work a lot easy, report will neat and tidy, because it is easy to edit if you accidentally misspelled. Disadvantage of it is if the computer got virus and/or the system got hacked all the information will wipe out, that will give an extra work for the manager, care workers, and andmin. Code of Practice sets out the minimum standards and guidelines for hygiene, fire building safety, and the level of care required , which aims at ensuring that residents in the homes receive services of acceptable standards that are of benefit to them physically, emotionally and socially. (http://www.swd.gov.hk/doc/downsecdoc/code_rchpd.pdf)I will assess the workplace strategies, policies and procedures that should be in place to ensure good practice in relation to all forms of communication in health and social care setting. The health and social care industry mainly focuses on the heart of care. Since it involves people, communication takes a very important role. Effective communication is not only significant to the health care professionals in ensuring the improvement of clients quality of life by addressing their needs. It is also the clients and support systems right in the promotion of their equality and diversity as people. Workplace strategies, policies, and procedures for good practice in communication focus on ensuring privacy, and confidentiality, disclosure, protection of individuals, rights and responsibilities, and equal opportunities. Moreover, a practice on disciplinary procedures, complaints policy, and flexible working also benefit the entire health care team. If all these flow efficiently, there will be no hindrance in the system of communication. For example, one of our residents had a GP appointment and I escorted her. When we arrived in the GP surgery, the receptionist asks the residents loudly for the reason that I am in the GP surgery in which other patients can hear, there is a break in the policy of ensuring privacy. Whenever I start expressing my concerns at her pace, then I will definitely not have my privacy. It establishes a barrier between us personally and professionally. As a patient, I might start complaining with regards to her action. Effective communication is a key factor in success may it be in work or association. It is always a part of personal and professional progress. Therefore, to master communication skills and techniques is a very important area to develop in each individual. In the given scenario its implication is to render a quality health care service which benefits the service providers and the service users. Data Protection is designed for person responsible for safeguarding the confidentiality of information and of the person giving his or her own information. One of its purposes is to safeguard the fundamental rights of individuals. This act governs the right storage and processing of personal data held in manual records and on computers. Under this act, the rights of the individual are protected by forcing organisations to follow proper and sound practices, known as data principles (DPP). Reporting and recording of information is a vital form of communication needed to ensure the safety of vulnerable adults. Parts of a carers daily routine should include making notes in a care file, as well as using communication books, forms and documents. Make sure that the writing is legible and clear, that is signed and dated, and that where necessary copies are made. http://transparency.dh.gov.uk/dataprotection/information-charter/ Health and Safety inspections are an important monitoring tool to help ensure that workplace hazards are controlled and that risk to employees and others are eliminated or minimised. Inspections should be carried out regularly.  Carers must inspect the equipment/s before using it, report and record all faulty equipment/s to the Manager e.g. heating, lightning, and ventilation. Charter is for anyone who has dealings with the Department of Health whether through correspondence, involvement in public policy consultations or if for any other reason we hold personal information about the resident. Communication and listening gives clues to a better understanding of an individuals preferences and wishes. Gathering information about an individual will lead to creative and supportive ways of providing care. Carers must exercised active listening and having the ability to empathise with the residents by paraphrasing what the others saying to her and understand it. So that, she will increased the trust and gain more information from the individuals. Communication itself is influenced by individuals values and culture. Carers should always make sure of eye contact; focus on what they are saying and acknowledged what is being said to her by paraphrasing or nodding her head. Carers must also use different technique to enhance their social culture, beliefs and values. Like for instances, I usually greets and chat with the individuals by smiling , Carers must apply the sense of touch in her communication. I believes that by means of touch can be a very positive form of communication in that it can provide comfort and re-assurance when someone is distressed making them feel safe and secure, it can also be a signed of love, respect and affection to somebody or it may calm someone who is agitated. In this case carers show that they met the desires of the human beings to their client which are love, purpose and self expression. Carers should be warm and caring in nature and she has the ability to connect well with others. Fine qualities and having a good communication skill plays important role in the delivery of care in whatever ethnicity, sex, education or social care they may be. Saving face is saving your credibility, dignity and ethics by means of being honest, getting out of the situation by means of good explanation. Theories of Organisational communication Attraction- selection attrition framework; In Attraction, everyone is different, people are differently attracted to a career for different reasons, this could be their passion, helping and/or looking after people could make them happy and fulfilled, even if they just want to try different job, and this is depending on their personality to choose the organization they want. In Selection, in organization the Manager chooses who she thinks will qualified for the job, with the same interest, goals, and personal reasons. Attrition, this is the complete opposite of attraction, where the people who didnt qualify, or found that they are not happy with the organization, management, job tend to leave, only those people who have the same ideas, interest, fits in the job chose to stay. A very good example is in the residential home I used to work, Id chose that residential home to apply because of a good reputation. The manager hired me because she thinks have got the qualification they are loo king for, and I can contribute to the organization. I and the other lady started working as a Induction carer, 3 days after the manager talked to me, and told me my colleagues are happy working with me and I can start working as a regular carer, working on my own. The sad part was, the new lady didnt appear two days after. http://www.utwente.nl/cw/theorieenoverzicht/Theory%20clusters/Public%20Relations,%20Advertising,%20Marketing%20and%20Consumer%20Behavior/Attraction-Selection-Attrition_Framework(ASA).doc/ There are many types of organizational communication. Individuals communicate with peers, superiors, and subordinates within the organization. Managers manage through communication. Employee communication departments attempt to inform and/or secure cooperation; from employees. Labour relations specialists deal with labour unions. Formal and informal communication takes place between departments and role occupants throughout the organization. Public relations specialists communicate to external audiences about the organization in general,and advertising departments communicate to consumers about the organizations products and services. Change agents; and other organizational representatives communicate with clients and community representatives. Finally, organizations communicate with other organizations which generally share common problems or values. In groupthink or team work, a manager or team leader should be sensitive, open to accept suggestions from your subordinates in order t o meet the target goal. Working in groups are building blocks for meeting organization goals.   Managers should also consider ways to develop leadership in team members.   Training for versatility in leadership styles through workshops could encourage this growth.   Encouraging self-growth through concept of motivation. It is very important to have an effective communication at shift turnover; Care workers should give this a high priority. Shift turnover should be included in the safety-critical topics supervised and audited periodically by management. They should identify its importance in policy and procedures, assign responsibilities and set minimum standards. A description of how to conduct an effective handover should be available so individuals can assess and improve their own practice. High risk handovers needing extra attention should be flagged up. The importance of effective communication skills during shift handover and throughout other work activities suggests this attribute should be amongst the selection criteria for key posts. Furthermore, opportunities should be available for existing staff to develop their communication skills if required. To be able to motivate a care worker is to identify his strengths and weaknesses, and by giving him feedback. Being open to accept negative feedback is the key for being productive by improving, and being eager to learn, and update skills. Team work and good communication with one another will make each others work easy. Task 3 Interpersonal communication How the use of ICT in health and social care benefits service users? The Information Communication Technology aims to the efficiency of the health care services. This means to b a better outcome for the same or a lesser use of resources. ICT also helps and empowers the health and social care staff, it improves positive patients experiences and facilities research and development relevant to health and social care, the legal consideration in the use of ICT is the Health and Safety. How the ICT supports and enhances the activities of care workers and care organisations? As aforementioned, the ICT supports and enhances health and social care activities of care workers and care organisations. It is through administrative, financial, clinical, infrastructure applications, etc. That the needs of staff are met; and there is a high regard innovation in business administration, efficiency and quality of service. It also helps in meeting requirement of other agencies, accountability, and audit . For example, the use of a computer screen is an indication of a patients arrival makes the work of the receptionist lighter and easier. Imagine if there was no such thing then the receptionist will have to entertain every person coming in a queue. She will not have enough have time to do other things. Working with vulnerable adult, Professionals must shows different techniques and strategies used in supporting communication between the individual with specific communication needs. Good communication with people with vulnerable adult is essential. This includes identifying behaviour triggers, by means of visual prompts and speaking in short, clear sentences. I considered that the carers must use verbal and non-verbal forms of communications and applied the principles of active listening. Some people with disabilities are not able to use speech as their principle means of communication. They may however be able to use an alternative method of communication such as symbols and body language. It is vital to recognise that symbols are different from pictures. Pictures generally convey a lot of information at once but their focus is often unclear. Symbols, on the other hand, are often designed to convey a particular meaning. Symbols or body language can be applied to signify many aspect s of verbal communication. Symbols can be presented through visual, auditory and/or tactile media and can take the form of gestures, photos, manual signs, printed words, objects, reproduced spoken words or Braille. Symbols help understanding which can increase involvement, choice and confidence; it helps support creativity and self expressions. Theories of Interpersonal Communication Uncertainty reduction model People have an urge or need to reduce uncertainty about individuals that they find attractive and this motivates them to communicate In Social network theory closeness develops if people proceed in gradual and orderly fashion from superficial to more intimate levels of exchange. People consciously and deliberately weigh the costs and rewards associated with a relationship and seek relationships that reward them and avoid those that are costly. People connect with others because they believe that rewards or positive outcomes will result. Expectancy value model People believe according to their expectations, and evaluation. The behaviours they perform in response to their beliefs and values are undertaken to achieve some end. However, although expectancy-value theory can be used to explain central concepts in uses and gratifications research, there are other factors that influence the process.  Attribution theory is significantly driven by motivational dri ves, looking at how the person constructs the meaning of an event based on the persons motives to find cause on persons surroundings. Personal development planning is the lifelong process of nurturing, shaping, and updating persons knowledge. It is about allowing individuals to improve and develop in line with the industry in which they engage or aspire to engage. It is about widening or broadening their knowledge and skills in order that they will continue to have a place in the flatter structures of todays organisations. The benefits of personal development planning are that it provides a schedule to work to motivate the individual and suggests a framework for monitoring and evaluating achievements. A good example is If you are currently working as a first line manager or senior administrator and aspire to the position of your manager, you may need to acquire new skills or develop your lower level skills to a higher level in, for example, budgeting, managing people, performance review, report writing and chairing meetings. You would need to planhow you are going to acquire these skills and over what time frame. Personal development planning can also be the basis for: Assessing where you want to be and how you can get there ,keeping skills up-to-date through meetings, trainings, reading the record book of the residents, updating it via computer, particularly in IT and technical areas, Continuous learning, gaining satisfaction from achievements through feedback from colleagues and management whether it is formal or informal, Building up transferable skills, such as time management, adaptability to change, self-awareness, and supporting future employability. You have to set yourself a SMART objective; they must be attainable, viable and realistic time-frame. A good example of SMART objective is; Within the next 12 months (time-bound), I will devise and implement a system (specific) which will enable the team to communicate more effectively with each other (achievable and realistic) through monthly group meetings and three-monthly one-to-one meetings (measurable).